योगवासिष्ठः yogavāsiṣṭhaḥ - book-4, chapter-1, verse-29

न किंचिद्यत्कथं किंचित्तत्रास्ते वस्तु वस्तुनि ।
अस्ति चेत्तत्कथं तत्र विद्यमानं न दृश्यते ॥ २९ ॥

na kiṃcidyatkathaṃ kiṃcittatrāste vastu vastuni ,
asti cettatkathaṃ tatra vidyamānaṃ na dṛśyate 29

29. na kiñcit yat katham kiñcit tatra āste vastu vastuni
asti cet tat katham tatra vidyamānam na dṛśyate

29. yat na kiñcit katham kiñcit vastu vastuni āste.
cet tat asti,
tatra vidyamānam katham na dṛśyate.

29. If something is truly nothing, how can it become something, an object residing within the ultimate Reality (vastuni)? If it does exist, then how is it that, being present there, it is not seen?

Words meanings summery:

• न (na) - not (a negation of existence or identity) (not, no, nor)

• किञ्चित् (kiñcit) - anything (in the sense of 'nothing at all') (something, anything, a little)

• यत् (yat) - that which (introduces a clause describing the subject) (which, that (relative pronoun))

• कथम् (katham) - how (expressing impossibility or contradiction) (how? in what manner?)

• किञ्चित् (kiñcit) - something (referring to a supposed existence) (something, anything, a little)

• तत्र (tatra) - there (referring to the ultimate reality or substratum) (there, in that place, in that case)

• आस्ते (āste) - exists (referring to the presence of something) (exists, sits, remains, dwells)

• वस्तु (vastu) - an object (a manifest entity) (thing, object, substance, reality)

• वस्तुनि (vastuni) - within the ultimate Reality (referring to the fundamental ground of existence) (in the thing, in the object, in reality)

• अस्ति (asti) - exists (positing a hypothetical existence) (is, exists)

• चेत् (cet) - if (introduces a conditional clause) (if)

• तत् (tat) - that (referring to the 'kiñcit vastu' that supposedly exists) (that)

• कथम् (katham) - how (questioning the absence of perception) (how? in what manner?)

• तत्र (tatra) - there (referring to the location of the supposed existence) (there, in that place, in that case)

• विद्यमानम् (vidyamānam) - being present (emphasizing its supposed physical presence) (existing, present, being found)

• न (na) - not (negating the act of seeing) (not, no, nor)

• दृश्यते (dṛśyate) - is seen (referring to perception) (is seen, appears)

Words meanings and morphology

न (na) - not (a negation of existence or identity) (not, no, nor)

(indeclinable)

Note: Negation.

किञ्चित् (kiñcit) - anything (in the sense of 'nothing at all') (something, anything, a little)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kiñcit

kiñcit - something, anything, a little, perhaps

From 'kim' + 'cit' suffix

Note: Combined with 'na' to mean 'nothing at all'.

यत् (yat) - that which (introduces a clause describing the subject) (which, that (relative pronoun))

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of yad

yad - which, that, whatever

Note: Relative pronoun, refers to the implied subject.

कथम् (katham) - how (expressing impossibility or contradiction) (how? in what manner?)

(indeclinable)

Note: Interrogative adverb.

किञ्चित् (kiñcit) - something (referring to a supposed existence) (something, anything, a little)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of kiñcit

kiñcit - something, anything, a little, perhaps

From 'kim' + 'cit' suffix

Note: Used here in contrast to 'na kiñcit'.

तत्र (tatra) - there (referring to the ultimate reality or substratum) (there, in that place, in that case)

(indeclinable)

From 'tad' + 'tra' suffix

Note: Locative adverb.

आस्ते (āste) - exists (referring to the presence of something) (exists, sits, remains, dwells)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present (lat) of ās

present indicative

Root: ās (class 2)

Note: Refers to the existence of 'kiñcit'.

वस्तु (vastu) - an object (a manifest entity) (thing, object, substance, reality)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of vastu

vastu - thing, object, substance, reality, wealth

Note: Used in combination with 'vastuni' to express 'an object within reality'.

वस्तुनि (vastuni) - within the ultimate Reality (referring to the fundamental ground of existence) (in the thing, in the object, in reality)

(noun)

Locative, neuter, singular of vastu

vastu - thing, object, substance, reality, wealth

Note: Refers to the substratum or ultimate Reality.

अस्ति (asti) - exists (positing a hypothetical existence) (is, exists)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (lat) of as

present indicative

Root: as (class 2)

Note: Used in the conditional clause 'asti cet'.

चेत् (cet) - if (introduces a conditional clause) (if)

(indeclinable)

Note: Conditional particle.

तत् (tat) - that (referring to the 'kiñcit vastu' that supposedly exists) (that)

(pronoun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of tad

tad - that, he, she, it

Note: Refers back to 'kiñcit vastu'.

कथम् (katham) - how (questioning the absence of perception) (how? in what manner?)

(indeclinable)

Note: Interrogative adverb.

तत्र (tatra) - there (referring to the location of the supposed existence) (there, in that place, in that case)

(indeclinable)

Note: Locative adverb.

विद्यमानम् (vidyamānam) - being present (emphasizing its supposed physical presence) (existing, present, being found)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of vidyamāna

vidyamāna - existing, present, being found

Present Middle Participle

From root 'vid' (to be, to exist) + 'śānac' suffix

Root: vid (class 2)

Note: Agrees with 'tat'.

न (na) - not (negating the act of seeing) (not, no, nor)

(indeclinable)

Note: Negation.

दृश्यते (dṛśyate) - is seen (referring to perception) (is seen, appears)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, passive, present (lat) of dṛś

present indicative

Passive voice formation with 'ya' suffix

Root: dṛś (class 1)

Note: Passive voice, refers to the subject 'tat'.